Railway-switch.



A. s. BRANDOGK. RAILWAY SWITCH.

APPLIOATION IILBD AUG. 26, 1913.

1,107,402, Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

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Pm DREWS-BRANDOCK THE AORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTD-LITHO v WASHINGTON, 0. 1:.

A. S. BRANDOGK.

RAILWAY SWII'GH.. APPLICATION FILED AUG.26, 1913.

Patented 'Aug. 18, 1914,

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A NDRE'DJ S .BRPINDOCK THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D. c.

A. S. BEAN DOCK. RAILWAY swmn. APPLICATION FILED AUG/25, 1913. 1, 1 07,402. Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

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U 3140mm HNDRFLQ S. BRaNpocK TH'E NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. c.

ANDREW S. BBANDOCK, 0F PUEBLO, COLORADO.

RAILWAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application filed August 25, 1913. Serial No. 786,540.

To all whom/i1; may concern:

Be it known that 1, ANDREW S. BRANDOGK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pueblo, in the county oi? Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l-tailway-Switches, o'I which the following is a specification, rel? erence being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in railway switches and has for its primary object to provide an automatic railway switch stand which will be norn'ially locked in closed position.

Another object is to provide a switch of this character including mechanism by means of? which the switch may be readily opened and automatically locked in open position and prevented from closing until the train has passed onto the side track.

Another object is to provide improved and simplified mechanism for automatically locking the switch when thrown into open position. and retaining the same in open position until the last wheels of the train are upon the switch points, thereby preventing the switch from closing too soon and causing a serious accident and probably loss of life.

A further object is to provide switch op- ?ating and controlling mechanism by means of which the switch may be normally retained in closed position and will be prevented from becoming caught or locked in open position except when a train is on the track directly in front of the switch to set the mechanism for locking the switch in open position.

A still further object is to generally improve the construction and operation of automatic switches and construct a switch and switch operating and controlling mechanism which will be highly eiiicient and effective in use as well as positive in operation the switch points being mounted in such manner that the switch will be normally closed to present an open straight track but readily open when the train is going in one direction and automatically return to closed position after the train passes.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 1s a top plan View of my device,

the covers for the operative parts being shown in dotted lines, for the sake of clearncss; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in. the direction indicated by the arrow; Fig. 3 a cross-sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; Fig. 1 is a similar view on the line 4.-i of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional. view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; Fig. (3 is a longitudinal section on the line 6-6 01: F 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow; and Fig. 7 is a similar view on the line 77 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated. by the arrow.

Referring more specifically to the drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several-views, 1 designates the rails of the main track and 2 the rails of a side track while 3 indicates the switch points of usual form.

It will be understood that the rails are mounted in the usual manner upon the ties 4;. It will also be understood that one of the switch points 3 is connected with one siding rail. while the other switch point connected with one main rail. as clearly shown in the drawings. The free ends of the switch points are secured upon the slidable supporting bar 6 between two of the ties 4: and adapted for slidable engagement beneath the rails and. transversely of the latter.

Pi'voted to the end of the slidable supporting bar 6 projecting beyond one of the main track rails 1 is one end of the latch bar 7 which has its opposite end rounded, as shown at 8, and slidably engaged through the bracket arm 9. A helical spring 10 is engaged around the reduced portion 8 of the latch bar 7 andhas its opposite ends engaged. against the washers 11 and 12 mounted upon said reduced end 8 and engaged respectively against the main portion or large portion of the latch bar 7 and the adjacent face or the bracket arm 9. The latch bar 7 has a latch lug 13 "formed upon one side face of its main portion, the purpose of which will presently appear. Pivoted to the free extremity of the rounded end 8 of the latch bar T is one end of an arm 1a which has a pin 15 in its opposite end engaged in an elongated longitudinal slot 16 in the free end of the lateral arm 17 projecting from the lower end of the turn post 18 mounted in the bearings 19 of the switch stand 20. It will be understood that the switch stand 20 is secured upon a support 21 projecting laterally from the tracks and that the switch stand is spaced a suitable distance from said tracks and that the bracket arm 9 is also mounted upon the support 21. It will further be understood that the turn post 18 has a suitable handle 22 projecting laterally therefrom and that the uppermost bearing of said turn post has a recess in its edge within which the handle 22 is engaged, thereby allowing the handle to extend downwardly and also limiting movement of the handle and rotation of the turn post in either direction, one end of the handle 22 being pivoted between the spaced ears 23 of the collar 24 engaged around the turn post 18 and said handle 22 depending from said ears 23.

'Pivoted in the bracket arm 9 is a horizontal rock arm 25 which has its opposite ends bifurcated, as shown at 26. The horizontal rock arm 25 rests above the support 21 and has its end extending toward the tracks normally positioned substantially parallel with the support 21 while the opposite end extends at an angle to the first end, the purpose of which will presently appear. Within the bifurcated end toward the tracks is pivoted a latch dog 27, the nose 28 of which is adapted at times for engagement with the latch lug 13 of the latch bar 7 to lock the switch in open position. The latch dog 27 is mounted upon the vertical pivot pin 29, to which is also connected the bifurcated end 30 of the horizontal rock arm operating rod 31, the opposite end of said rod being pivoted to one arm of the bell crank lever 32 pivoted upon the pin 33 carried by the short support 34 projecting laterally? from the tracks and parallel with the support 21. The bell crank lever 32. is oper ated by the rod 35 which has one end pivoted to the opposite arm of said bell crank and which will be later more fully described.

The latch dog 27 is resiliently retained in operative position by the member 36 engaged with one end thereof and having a reduced portion 37 engaged through the ear 38 projecting laterally from the adjacent face of the rock arm 25, a helical spring 39 being engaged around the reduced portion 37 and bearing against the main portion 36 and against the ear 38, movement of the latch dog in one direction being prevented by the fianges40 formed on its rear face and normally engaged against the adjacent face of the rock arm 25. WVithin the opposite end of the horizontal rock arm 25 is positioned a latch dog 41 which is pivoted upon the vertical pivot pin 42. The latch dog 40 has a lip 43 for engagement against the latch lug 44 projecting laterally from the lower end of the turn post 18 to prevent the turn post 18 from being manually turned in one direction to open the switch. Movement of the latch dog 41 in one direction is limited by the flanges 45 formed on its rear face and adapted for engagement with the adjacent side of the rock arm 25. The latch dog 41 is resiliently retained in operative position by the flanges 45 in engagement with the rock arm 25, by means of the member 46 engaged against the latch dog at the inner ends of the flanges 45 and resiliently retained in engagement therewith by means of the helical spring 47 engaged around the reduced portion 48 of the member 46 and having its opposite ends bearing-against the large or main portion of said member and the adjacent face of the perforated ear 49 projecting laterally from the side of the rock arm 25 and having the reduced portion 48 of the member 46 engaged therethrough.

The bell crank operating rod 35 is slidably engaged beneath the adjacent main rail 1 and has its reduced free end 50 slidably engaged through the bearing member 51 depending between two of the ties 4. The

rod 35 has a squared portion 52 inwardly of the reduced free end 50 and a washer 53 engaged against the outer end of the square portion 52 with one end of a helical spring 54'bearing against it while the opposite end of the spring bears against the bearing member 51 to resiliently retain the rod 35 in its outermost position. Mounted in suitable bearings 55 positioned upon the ties 4 between the main rails 1 is a rock rod 56 having a bifurcated bracket member 57 depending therefrom and pivoted upon the squared portion 52 of the rod 35. The rock rod 56 also has the arms 58' depending therefrom and resiliently retained in engagement with the free end. of the inwardly directed fingers 59 carried by the latch mechanism operating rails 60 which are positioned inwardly of the adjacent main rail. 1 and resiliently retained against the inner face thereof by the helical springs 61 engaged around the bolts 62 which project outwardly through said main rail 1 and have nuts 63 or other suitable means threaded upon their outer ends and forming bear ings for the other nuts of the springs 61, whereby the tension of said springs may be readily adjusted.

From the foregoing it will be readily seen that when a train is traveling in one direction upon the main track, the wheels on one side of the train will pass between thelatch mechanism operating rails 60 and the main track rail 1 against whichsaid latch mech-' anism operating rails 60 are normally engaged and force said latch mechanism operating rails 60 away from said rail 1, thereby turning the bell crank lever 32 and swinging the rock arm 25 to place the nose 28 of the latch dog 27 in the path of the latch lug 13. This also draws the lip 43 of the latch dog 45 from against the latch lug a l. As the front wheels pass between said latch mechanism operating rails 60 and said main rail 1 and force said latch mechanism operating rails 60 outwardly, the train is brought to a stop and the turn post 18 rotated in the proper direction to draw the slide bar 7 outwardly against the tension of the spring 10, the latch lug 13 automatically catching back of the nose 28 of the latch dog 27, thereby automatically locking the slide bar 7 in its outermost position and the switch points I in open position, until the wheels of the train pass the last latch mechanism operating rails 60 and allow the same to return to normal position as the train passes to the side track. If the train is to continue its course along the main track, however, instead. of entering the site track, the turn post 18 is not operated and it is not necessary to stop the train. When the train is passing in the opposite direction upon the main track, it is not necessary to stop the train as the same passes over the switch and the wheels of the train will force the latch mechanism operating rails 60 away from the adjacent main rail 1 and consequently retain the switch points 3 in closed position. Shoul d the train be passing in this direction from the side track to the main track, the switch points 3 will be forced to open position by the wheels of the train and as soon as the trout wheels of said train pass between the latch mechanism operating rails 60 and the adjacent main rail 1 and force said latch mechanism operating rails 60 inwardly, the switch will be automatically looked, as previously described, in open position until the last wheels of the train pass the last latch mechanism operating rails 60.

From the foregoing it will be seen that l have provided an improved switch and switch operating mechanism which will be automatic in operation as well as highly eitlicient and. effective in use, the switch points 3 being normally retained in closed position.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my railway switch, it will be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing any of the advantages of the same.

Wh at I claim is 1. The combination with main rails and siding rails of a track, of a slide bar, switch points secured to the slide bar, a turn post, operative connections between the turn post and the slide bar, a rock arm, means carried by the rock arm for engagement with the turn post to prevent rotation of the latter when the reel: arm is in normal position, and means carried by the rock arm for engagement with the slide bar, to retain said slide bar in extended position when the rock arm is in its reverse position.

2. A device of the class described compris ing a slide bar, switch points supported upon the slide bar, means for resiliently retaining the slide bar in normal. position, a car-" tch .tand including a turn post, connections between the turn post and the slide bar, whereby the slide bar is moved in the proper direction to open the switch upon notation of the turn post in one direction, means for locl ring the turn. post against rotation in said direction, meansadapted for en; eniezit with the slide bar to lock the switch in open position, and means "for throwing the turn post locking means from inoperative position and the slide bar engaging means in operative position.

A device of the class described comprising a slide bar, a rock arm, a latch lug carried by the slide bar, switch points connected with the slide bar, latch. members carried by the rock arm, means for operating the rock arm in one direction to cause one 01 the latch members to he engaged by the latch lug of the slide bar, means for resiliently retaining the last mentioned means in inoperative position, and means for returning the slide bar to normal position.

4. A device of the class described comprising a slide bar, switch points supported upon the slide bar, means for resiliently retaining the slide bar in normal position, a switch stand including a turn post, connections between the turn post and the slide bar, whereby the slide bar will be moved in the proper direction to open the switch upon rotation of the turn post in one direction, means for locking the turn post against rotation in said direction, means adapted for engagement with the slide bar to lock the switch in open position, means for throwing the turn post locking means in inoperative position and the slide bar engaging means in operative position, means for automatically returning the turn post locking means and the slide bar engaging means to their normal positions, and means for returning the slide bar to normal position to close th switch.

5. A device of the class described comprising a rotatable member, latch mechanism normally engaged with said rotatable member to prevent rotation thereof, switch points, connections between said rotatable member and said switch points, latch mechanism operating rails forwardly of the switch points and adapted to be operated by the wheels of a train approaching said switch points to disengage the latch mechanism from the rotatable member and allow the latter to be rotated to throw the switch points in one direction, and means for returning the switch points to normal position upon disengagement of the wheels with the latch mechanism operating rails.

6. A device of the class described comprising switch points, a switch stand, loose connections between the switch stand and the switch points whereby said switch points may be thrown in one direction without causing operation of the switch stand, means for resiliently retaining said switch points in closed position, a pivoted member having latch mechanism formed upon one end and engaged with the switch stand to prevent op eration of the latter to throw the switch points to open position when said pivoted member is in normal position, train operated means for turning the pivoted member upon its pivot to its reverse position, and means carried by said pivoted member for engagement with the connections between the switch pivoted member is in its reverse position.

7. A device of the class described comprising switch points, a manually operated switch stand for throwing the switch points in one direction, latch mechanism normally engaged with the switch stand to lock the same against operation, means for moving the latch mechanism to inoperative position to allow theswitch stand to be operated,and slidable members adapted to be moved horizontally to operate the last mentioned means. In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my sign ature in the presence of two witnesses.

ANDR-EVV S. BRANDOCK. "Witnesses:

JOHN A. MARTIN, CHAsN. Rose.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

